What It’s Like Hosting A Countdown Show With A NASCAR Legend
We’ve had the opportunity over the decades in radio to do a bunch of exciting things. But, this one is among the top for sure. We were approached by the folks at our radio station and PRN (Performance Racing Network) about the idea of hosting a nationally syndicated countdown show with NASCAR legend Kyle Petty. Of course, we jumped at the chance. And, we decided to call it “Kyle Petty’s Back Then Again Country Countdown with Charlie and Debbie.”
Getting To Know Kyle For The Back Then Again Country Countdown
I will admit it came with a bit of nervous excitement. It’s unlike the typical things we do every day. But, in the end, it’s about great country music and having fun conversations with good people on the radio. We know about that! But, outside of a couple of very brief professional encounters over the years, we had never spent much time with Kyle. So, we decided getting to know him would be important for the show to work. After all, we’d be sharing a broadcast studio for a number of hours every month with him.
We arranged a casual meet up for dinner after work one night to just sit and talk with Kyle. And, luckily as we had expected and hoped, he was beyond delightful. We hit it right off. And, the vibe and chemistry among the three of us has just grown. Each week we sit down with Kyle and look back at a specific year and week in country music history. We review the top 20 songs on Billboard’s Hot Country Chart for that week in time.
What To Expect From The Back Then Again Country Countdown
Then, we not only share important information about the songs and artists, we tie much of the musical and pop culture history into stories from Kyle’s life. And, let me tell you, he has some unique and fascinating stories. Plus, he’s a fantastic storyteller. He has us rolling on the floor with snapshots of a life not many folks get to experience.
But, the best thing about working alongside Kyle Petty is how humble and down to earth he is. He is happy to share stories about his beloved dad Richard “The King” Petty…a household name in the world of racing. Let’s just say, during one of our sessions, he spoke about his dad’s love of popcorn while watching old movies and races on his couch at home. So, that prompted us to visit our local theater and purchase a bag of movie popcorn the size of a toddler to gift Mr. Petty.
I have to admit of all the things I’ve done in my career I never thought I’d be gifting “The King” of NASCAR a huge bag of popcorn. But, he was very appreciative and told Kyle not to eat it before he got home with it!
We are a few shows into the project and loving every minute of it. It’s a lovely stroll down memory lane bringing to light all the great chart topping hits and even some we may have forgotten about. The show airs on over 180 stations across the country. And, to listen on Country 103.7, check out Kyle Petty’s Back Then Again Country Countdown with Charlie and Debbie Sunday mornings from 7-9.
